“Even accounting for the energy he is able to draw on using the roots of the Mycelial Art, your friend is able to channel it through his core at an unfathomable rate…” Yin whispered to Kel.

“It should take ten Jade level cultivators to harness that amount of energy…”

“His core is of his own making, but it is truly unique…” Kel replied as he watched Teran scrambled around the platform in a feeble attempt to outrun Micro’s slowly growing ethereal shell.

“His ability to visualize and manifest the material from the immaterial is difficult to comprehend. Things come naturally to him which should be considered unnatural to any mortal…”

“It makes me long to see his home world with my own eyes…” Yin whispered, mindful of the elder Imperial Guard’s constant attention.

“It may be too much for us to perceive…” Kel’s voice trailed off as the match neared its inevitable conclusion.

“The more I ask him about it, the more I feel I will never understand it…”

“Come out and fight me!” She screamed as she looked for a place to run to, but most of the platform was already beneath the massive box. She thought of jumping on top of it, but knew she might as well ask him to trap her in a smaller box.

Though she had continued to keep her distance from the box, it had somehow grown in size throughout her attacks. Even as she increased the strength of her elemental attack, it continued to grow, its walls creeping ever closer to her as she backed toward the edge.

“You trash! Come out!” Tera screamed as she tried to push back against the advancing wall.

“Face me! You’re no warrior! What do you-”

And then she slipped off the stage, landing in a muddy puddle of her own creation, staining her beautiful red attire the colour of the dirt she’d been controlling so masterfully only moments before.

“You…” She fumed as she looked up at the box which continued to grow even after it had covered the entire platform.

“Umm…”

“Young master…” The announcer called out as several spectators looked around anxiously, wondering if or when the box would stop growing.

“Micro…! “You’ve won already!”

“Oh!” Micro shouted, instantly allowing the box to evaporate into the air like glowing sand floating away on the wind. He brushed himself off and looked at the messy stone platform, then dusted himself off as he walked to the edge of the platform and found Teran with an expression similar to the one Thea had displayed not long ago.

“Are you okay?”

“You…!” Teran's eyes twitched as she pointed up at him, unable to catch her breath in her anger. However, when she noticed the silent crowd watching their conversation with great amusement, she turned away with a frustrated sigh.

“This isn’t over!”

She stormed away as the crowd began to stir, turning around once to let off a bit more steam on the way.

“We will fight again!” She screamed.

“And I’ll teach you some respect!”

“Shall we fight at Kel’s temple?” Micro asked. The audience quieted as they awaited her response.

“Excuse me?!” Teran shouted, stopping in her tracks.

“Shall we fight on the mountain?” Micro asked.

“We can eat mountain fried beef after!”

Poorly stifled laughter began to spring out of the audience, replacing some of Teran’s frustration and rage with shame, her face quickly reddening. However, when she looked back to see Micro’s smile as he waited for her reply, she rolled her eyes with a deep breath.

“Fine…” She finally answered, and the crowd finally cheered.

When the announcer once again asked Micro what his intentions were for the next round, he looked over at the waiting area where all of the contestants now stood

“Ki can go next!” Micro declared.

“I’m thirsty!”

“Oh… Alright…!” The announcer replied awkwardly, shaking his head.

Ki, having heard Micro’s choice, quickly turned her nose up at the person she was arguing with and made her way over. However, she walked straight into one of the mundane workers, an old man, who was rushing to bring Micro a cup of tea. Ki simply continued walking, though the old man and the cup of tea in his hand fell to the ground with an awful sound.

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“Ki, of the Air Moon Sect, the youngest participant in this year's Annual Jade Alliance Tournament, shall lead the following match!” The announcer declared in his usual manner as the crowd made its usual noises.

Ki hopped lightly up the steps and rolled her eyes as she bowed to Micro as they passed each other, but she, along with the rest of the crowd, were confused when he ran straight past her and continued down the steps to the old man still lying on the ground. There were some murmurs among the crowd regarding his lack of manners, but Ki just rolled her eyes a second time and walked to the middle of the platform.

“Are you okay?” Micro asked the old man as he knelt down beside him. The old man was lying on his face, so Micro turned him as gently as he could onto his side, and he was relieved to see the man was awake, though some of his long white hair was coloured red as blood dripped down to his face.

“You were in an accident. Can you hear me?”

“Oh… you…” The old man mumbled as his eyes struggled to focus on Micro.

“Thank you, kind messenger…”

“I’m not a Messenger.” Micro corrected him.

“That’s another model. I’m a Micro.”

“Of course… Micro…” The old man smiled as the blood continued to fall. Three other mundane workers rushed over with their heads bowed.

“I think he hurt his head.” Micro explained to one of them.

“I can’t believe a hit and run could happen in front of so many people!”

“It is best you not be seen associating with us any further.” The youngest of the three men who appeared said with his head bowed deeply.

“Our preparations are nearly complete.”

Micro noticed injuries all over the young man who now bowed to him, cuts and scrapes that had yet to be tended to. He frowned as he began to notice many such wounds and scars on the others.

“You should get some rest.” Micro said with an air of frustration.

“But the… event…” The young man looked up with a flustered expression.

“The plan…”

“Just finish things up quickly and go home.” Micro said, shaking his head.

“This place is too dangerous for normal people.”

“You…” The young man whispered as the others looked at him with surprise.

“You’re telling us to escape… as soon as the job is done…?”

“Escape?” Micro repeated, tilting his head.

“Just stay safe. There’s nothing more important than safety.”

“Safety…” the three men repeated. The bleeding old man brought himself up to his knees and joined them in bowing their heads.

“Thank you for this revelation, honoured messenger…” The old man whispered.

“It will be done…”

“Good.” Micro said, as he stood up. He waved his hands, gesturing for them also to stand.

“Getting the job done is important, but it’s all for nothing if you don’t put safety first.”

“Understood.” The men all said in unison, catching Micro off guard.

“Well then…” Micro mumbled awkwardly, but the three men had already taken the old man by the shoulders and started leading him away.

“Bye… I guess…”

Micro looked over to see Kel staring back at him with an expression he couldn’t quite read, somewhere between confusion and horror. He then noticed the rest of the contestants looking at him with a similar expression, but he didn’t have time to ask what the reason for their strange looks were.

“I challenge Kel, of the Fire Mountain Turtle Sect!” Ki shouted, pointing at Kel with a grin.

Kel snapped out of his daze and looked up at Ki, then to the announcer. He nodded, and started walking up to the stage. As he passed Micro, he placed a hand on his shoulder.

“I don’t know why you persist in befriending those stone pushers and cup holders, but at least be discreet about it.” He whispered with a look of concern.

“People might get the wrong idea about you.”

“Sure?” Micro replied, confused by Kel’s warning. He walked back to join Tae, who stood among the other contestants with an air of tension.

“This year’s tournament will be spoken of for years to come…” Gor mumbled as Kel ascended the stairs once again.

“I ask the heavens to grant my sister discretion…” Tsurum added with his hands clasped in front of him.

“Oh, hello there.” Micro waved to Tsurum, who he hadn’t yet spoken with. Tsurum wore the same grey robes as his younger sister, Ki, though he looked as anxious as he did strong.

“You are the… new representative…” Tsurum replied.

“Of the Fire Mountain Turtle Sect… I see…”

“That’s right!” Micro replied.

“Nice to meet you!”

“Forgive my sister, please…” Tsurum sighed.

“What do you mean?” Micro asked.

“I think she may have taken a liking to Kel at some point…” Tsurum explained awkwardly. He flinched when Tae turned her head to glare at him so quickly that a small gust of wind blew his hair into his face.

“What do you mean?” Tae asked with a tone more similar to a threat than a question.

“It’s just that she has an odd way of expressing her affection…” Tsurum continued, adjusting his hair.

“It may seem discourteous…”

Before Tae could ask him to elaborate further, the contestants’ attention was once again drawn to the stage where Kel and the much smaller Ki faced each other and bowed.

“Ki, of the Air Moon Sect, and Kel, of the Fire Mountain Turtle Sect!” The announcer cried out.

“May you bring honour to your sects!”

“And restore some normalcy to this event!” A spectator added, prompting a small round of laughter as the audience cheered.

“What’s going on now?” Blue’s muffled voice suddenly caught Micro’s ear.

“Kel’s fighting now.” Micro replied over the noise of the crowd.

“You and Trill sleep a lot.”

“Oh, the tournament started?” Blue said as she poked her head out of his pocket.

“That’s exciting.”